Hot Topic: Collagen Supplements

Collagen has been a hot topic these days. Health magazines continue to publish articles about the benefits of collagen but some people are still asking questions: what is collagen? What are collagen supplements?

Collagen is a complex protein that maintains strength and flexibility of skin, ligaments, bones and muscles. It also provides the major building material for growth, repair and maintenance of nails, hair, skin and joints.

Collagen supplements are dietary supplements generally sold in capsule or powder form and taken to reduce the symptoms of arthritis and bone pain, or to improve the appearance of the skin.

The collagen used in supplements is generally derived from either cows or chickens. Many collagen products target the treatment of osteoarthritis and additional supplements, such as glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and hyaluronic acid, may help to maximize results.

However, people are buying collagen supplements because of its anti-aging properties. Healthy people generally do not need to take collagen supplements, but many people choose to take them to promote a youthful appearance.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content. Collagen constitutes 1% to 2% of muscle tissue, and accounts for 6% of the weight of strong, tendinous muscles.

Collagen occurs in many places throughout the body. So far, 29 types of collagen have been identified and described. However, over 90% of the collagen in the body are of type I (skin, tendon, vascular, ligature, organs, bone (main component of bone), type II (cartilage), type III (reticulate, commonly found alongside type I), and type IV (forms bases of cell basement membrane).

This entry was posted
on Friday, April 16th, 2010 at 1:16 pm and is filed under Supplements.
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